Disclaimer: I wish I had written the Harry Potter series. But I didn't, because the AMAZINGLY WONDERFULLY TOTALLY AWESOME J.K. Rowling did. I only own the original characters and the plot in this story. :)


"Amanda!"

The six-year old looked up at the sound of her voice being called. She dropped her toy Snitch on the carpeted floor of the living room and stood up, heading for the kitchen where she had heard her mother's voice.

"I also need you to prepare some pumpkin juice; I hear that Mrs. Zabini is pregnant again, so she can't even drink Butterbeer…" her mother was saying as Amanda was about to enter.

"Amand—" she started to call out again, before noticing her daughter's presence in the kitchen doorway. "Oh, there you are."

Amanda's mother was a tall, petite blonde—the perfect trophy wife. She was currently filing her long, red fingernails while giving instructions to the house-elf, who was standing on a stool, hurriedly stirring something in a large, silver pot.

"Yes, mummy?" Amanda said.

"My dinner party is tonight, so I set out your dress for you on your bed—" she began.

"Dinner party?" Amanda interrupted.

Her mother looked up from her nails. "Yes, my party. Hadn't I told you?"

Amanda shook her head.

"Oh, well, anyway, it's tonight. Like I was saying, the dress I want you to wear is out on your bed. You'll need to change soon, because the guests will be arriving in about an hour."

Amanda almost grimaced, trying to picture what kind of awful outfit her mother would want her to wear.

"Also, you'll need to tidy your room; I went in there and your things were lying all over the place, it's unsightly—"

"Will the guests be spending time in my bedroom, mum?" Amanda asked innocently.

Her mother narrowed her eyes slightly. "Don't interrupt me. I told you to clean your room, so you have to clean your room."

Amanda frowned, but nodded anyway, knowing it was no use to argue with her any more.

"Also, Mitzy will be upstairs shortly to do your hair," her mother continued, gesturing toward the house-elf, who was now pouring some orange-ish substance into a mixing bowl. "Please don't mess it up; I don't want you looking sloppy tonight." She diverted her attention back to her perfectly manicured fingernails.

"Fine," Amanda muttered, turning and walking from the room, her bare feet slapping softly on the floor as she walked toward the stairs. She climbed the spiral staircase slowly, not looking forward to the night's upcoming events.

Reaching the top of the stairs, she traipsed toward her bedroom at the very end of the hall—past her parents' bedroom door, which was closed, then the bathroom, then the hall closet, and then stopped as she reached the second-to-last door in the long hallway—her father's study. Amanda stood just outside the doorway, poking her head in.

Her father, Terence Higgs, was sitting in a tall, green, straight-backed armchair, his feet up on the desk in front of him, reading that day's issue of The Daily Prophet. He must have noticed Amanda's appearance at the door, however, because he looked up to see who was there. Seeing his daughter's face, he smiled.

"Hi, dad," Amanda said quietly.

"Hello, dear," he replied. "What are you up to?"

"Mummy told me to go get ready for the party," she grumbled, moving into the room a bit.

Her father chuckled. "Come on, it won't be that bad," he said, folding up his paper.

"I guess," Amanda said, not sounding convinced in the least.

"Miss Amanda, please hold still!" Mitzy the house-elf cried for the umpteenth time. She was standing on a tall stool behind Amanda, who was sitting in her chair in front of her vanity mirror. Amanda protested over-dramatically every time her hair was pulled the tiniest bit by Mitzy's long fingers by pulling her head away. Mitzy was growing more and more frustrated each time she had to start over curling a strand of Amanda's shoulder-length, dirty blonde hair.

"Sorry, Mitzy," she mumbled, crossing her hands in front of her chest.

"I is almost finished, miss," Mitzy sighed, twisting another strand of hair around her finger, magically curling it.

Minutes later, Amanda's hairdo was complete, half of the curls being held up with a sparkling diamond clip. The young witch examined herself in the mirror in front of her, twisting her lips into an unpleasant frown.

"Miss must get dressed now, please," Mitzy said, hopping down from the stool and stepping toward the bed where Amanda's dress lay.

Amanda groaned. "But it's so… ugh!"

Looking half-exasperated and half-amused, Mitzy picked up the pink, silky gown and held it up. "Mistress told Mitzy to make sure Miss Amanda put on the dress."

"I just wish mum had picked a better dress…"

But she allowed the house-elf to drop the gown over her head, careful not to disturb the locks that were neatly piled on top of her head. And as she scrutinized her reflection, she sighed, hating the pink, frilly dress, the too-fancy hairstyle, the sparkling, high-heeled shoes, and her mother for making her wear all of it.

Nevertheless, Mitzy took a step back, gazing at Amanda with her huge, brown eyes. "Miss looks beautiful!" she said quietly.

Amanda smiled for the sake of the house-elf, who she had known all of her life and adored. "Thank you, Mitzy." She made to flop down on the bed, but her bottom barely touched the mattress before catching herself, imagining the look on her mother's face if she got even the tiniest wrinkle on her outfit. She sighed again.

"Mitzy, do you know who will be at the party tonight?" she asked, sitting carefully in her chair again.

"I is only knowing a few names, miss," Mitzy replied, picking up various toys and articles of clothing from the floor. "Mr. and Mrs. Zabini, Miss Bulstrode, and the Malfoys."

Amanda's head popped up upon hearing the last name. "Malfoys?" she said. "Er… which Malfoys?"

"I is not knowing, miss," Mitzy said, straightening the covers on Amanda's bed. Then she paused and looked up at Amanda, who was feigning a look of innocent curiosity. "But I is thinking that the youngest Malfoy may be attending…"

This seemed to strike a chord with Amanda, because her eyes widened a tad and the corners of her mouth twitched upward as she tried not to smile. "Oh. Okay," she said, attempting to sound nonchalant about the matter.

Mitzy smiled knowingly. "Miss should go downstairs now, please," she said, crossing the big room and opening the door, gesturing out into the hall.

Amanda stood up, smoothing her dress with her small hands. She looked into the mirror once more, but this time, for some reason, she didn't mind so much that she was wearing so much pink and lace.


Author's Note: Yay! I'm so excited about this story. I know, I know, I have another story up that is far from being finished, but I got the idea for this story and I just had to start writing it. Anyway. I know Scorpius wasn't in this chapter at all, but I promise that he will appear soon. :]

Tell me what you think so far! Don't worry about hurting my feelings, because I just love getting reviews. Ta-ta for now! 3